Police in Dowa have arrested 32 people for stealing, damaging and setting on fire property valued at K15 million at Chamvu Village in the district.
Dowa Police Station Publicist Alice Sitima has identified three of the suspects as Constam Banda, 50, Tsirizani Chiwoye aged 45, Grecium Banda aged 37.
Sitima said that Kalonga Kasitomu aged 26, reported on behalf of his four brothers and sisters that all their 5 houses were set ablaze and property worth K15,000,000.00 ( fifteen million kwacha) got stolen and damaged.
According to Sitima, on the material day, Thokozani Kholowa ( adult) of Chiwaya village, Traditional Authority Chiwere in the district, who is mentally challenged, was found loitering in Chamvu village.
“One of the suspects Banda and his family claimed that Kholowa is one of their relatives and had just risen from the dead after being killed through magic by the family of Kasitomu,” said Sitima.
She went on to say that later, the husband to Kholowa came from Nalunga and pleaded with the angry mob of Chamvu village to release his wife, but they refused and beat him up.
The angry mob went ahead demolishing the houses, stealing and setting on fire all the five houses belonging to Kasitomu and his family.
The matter was later reported to Police who visited the scene and confirmed the incident. Police investigations led to the arrest of the suspects.
Meanwhile, the suspects will appear in court soon to answer charges levelled against them.
The suspects hail from Chamvu village, Traditional Authority Chiwere in Dowa district.
